It was 10 years ago this month that the 2008 financial crisis kicked into high gear. When storied Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers shut down, bankers walking out of the building carrying cardboard boxes of their possessions made the perfect image for TV cameras.

No politician running for office today would openly advocate for more wealth inequality in our country, where the richest 1 percent of the population owns 40 percent of the wealth.
Even candidate Donald Trump in 2016 promised to stand up for the “forgotten men and women of our country,” who feel betrayed by a rigged economic system that benefits a small minority at their expense.
Yet every single day, President Trump and congressional leaders seem determined to do more to increase wealth inequality than to alleviate it; do more for corporations and the wealthy than for single parents working two or three jobs to make ends meet.

Like others around the world, I mourned the death last week of Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul set a new standard for enduring classic songs with both artistic and political impact, like her mega-hit “Respect,” which became an anthem for both the civil rights and women’s movements.

And that song is on my mind as we embark on a week of action dedicated to shining light on the stakes for women in the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

AFSCME members are joining PEOPLE to help fight the powerful forces trying to silence workers.
Even though big corporations and big money led to an anti-worker Supreme Court decision, the Janus case isn’t stopping workers or their unions.
Minnesota public workers aren’t just joining AFSCME Council 5, they’re joining PEOPLE or upping their contributions to help fight the powerful forces trying to silence workers.

The AFSCME Council 5 Executive Board Thursday unanimously endorsed Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in the November election, along with a slate of other highly qualified candidates for state and federal office.
The Executive Board is made up of members and elected by members.